Fumarium: Roman Wine Smoking in Glanum

You ever think of smoking wine? The Romans did. I mean, they didn’t wrap it in paper and try to light it, but they did have a room built for smoking wine called a fumarium. The fumarium from the Roman town of Glanum outside of St. Remy de Provence in France is shown below.

The Fumarium in Glanum, France: Wine Smoking Rooms

They thought that putting amphorae of wine in a smoky chamber preserved the wine by acceleration the aging of it. It did add smokiness to a wine’s flavor, they say.

There’s not much written about smoked wine that I can tell. Hugh Johnson, Vintage: The Story of Wine is referenced in the Wikipedia article on the Fumarium.

You can visit the Fumarium and the Roman ruins of Glanum on an interesting walk from St. Remy that includes a visit to Van Gogh’s rooms in the Saint Paul asylum and a fine lunch: One Day in St. Remy

2008 in California was a year of wildfires during the growing time, and winemakers battled to make wines without the smokiness that would have occurred naturally. Funny how tastes change.

Tonight I will leave my glass near the barbecue and pretend I am Roman.

Most Popular

I often go on long walks to get my thinking straight. It never comes out without a few wrinkles, but it sure helps.

The idea of pilgrimage has been with us a long time. Folks used to walk long distances in dangerous territory to shake off sin. Those journeys changed the landscape. Churches, inns, and hospices popped up in along the routes. Carvers carved; the rich gave up (some of) their riches for use by the poor. Balance was restored to the universe….